NHTSA complaint: 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
WHEN ATTEMPTING AN EMERGENCY STOP, THE BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE AS EXPECTED. THERE WAS NO FEELING OF ANY BRAKING, AND THERE WAS NO SURGE TO INDICATE THAT THE ABS WAS OPERATING. THE EXPERIENCE WAS SIMILAR TO THOSE REPORTED ON THE WEB PAGE HTTP://WWW.HYBRIDCARS.COM/FORUMS/BRAKE-FAILURE-2007-T1013.HTML?S=500A78277EA2CB675FAC1F9567000BEE& I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A PRIUS DEALER, AVONDALE TOYOTA, BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY COMPUTER CODES AND THE FACT THAT SUBSEQUENT TESTS OF THE ABS SYSTEM DID NOT INDICATE A PROBLEM THEY WERE UNABLE TO OFFER ANY KIND OF EXPLANATION OR REPAIR. I HAD APPROXIMATELY THREE TO FOUR CAR LENGTHS FROM ME TO THE NEXT CAR AT ABOUT 30 MPH, ENOUGH SPACE THAT I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRAKE WITHOUT COLLISION. WHEN I WENT FROM ACCELERATING TO RAPID BRAKING THERE WAS NO REAL SENSATION OF THE CAR SLOWING DOWN MORE THAN SLIGHT BRAKING. THE OTHER CAR HAD MINIMAL DAMAGE, BUT THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR DID HIT HER HEAD ON HER STEERING WHEEL. I HAD CLOSE TO $3,000 IN DAMAGE TO MY FRONT END (HOOD BUMPER AND LEFT FENDER). *TR THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES DESIGN. THE BRAKES ARE ELECTRONICALLY ASSISTED AND THAT THE COMPUTER WILL FIRST ATTEMPT TO USE THE ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR INITIAL BRAKING, THEN ENGAGE THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AND FINALLY THE ABS BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM VARIOUS SENSORS. THE MECHANIC DID AGREE, THAT IS POSSIBLE THAT WHILE THE COMPUTER IS EVALUATING THE BRAKING EFFICIENCY, A DELAY BETWEEN THE MOTOR ONLY BRAKING
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation